Blog

Let’s talk stress

The last few years have seen a huge rise in the discussion of mental health.

When you consider the average office worker spends 40 hours at work, and in some extremes upwards of 50 hours in London, it is natural to conclude that mental health is not just something to be dealt with at home, but in the workplace.

There are lots of ways that businesses have risen to the challenge of aiding their staff with potential mental health problems. Whether it’s a no-phone zone in a quiet corner where work talk is forbidden, flexiworking, free gym memberships, health and wellness programs or even an office dog, mental health awareness has become a crucial and un-ignorable part of day to day working life.

In our industry, we talk to literally hundreds of people a week. Aptly, it’s usually to a candidate looking for the next role, a very stressful time indeed. Our consultants have substantial training to make sure the best possible advice is given, even when they are listening to even the most telling trials and tribulations such as forced redundancy or a family going without when a paycheck is not received.

When privy to the hectic lives of others, it’s quite common to forget that our own balance must be addressed. Stress is an enemy we see often and we here at Concorde have some really quick go-to’s to not only lessen the impact of stress in the workplace, but to try and prevent it altogether.

Discipline

It’s a little bit of an obvious one but structure is so important when it comes to managing your day. When you know what’s on the agenda, you’re far more likely to be surprised when a stressful situation arises.

Lean on a colleague

It’s a rarity, but we have a very close environment here and the ability to be open and honest with each other alleviates a lot of the pressure that can arise from the job. When something is upsetting you, inside or outside of work, it’s vital to make sure there are people in your organisation you can lean on and share your thoughts with. A problem shared is a problem halved, this is a vital fact.

Manage expectations

In a sales role, it’s very easy to set your own goals incredibly high, after all more deals equals more money. When you don’t set realistic challenges, you will ultimately spite yourself down the line. When the date is closing in and you have a target on your back, even if it’s one that you set, you will naturally increase the pressure on yourself and be far more prone to stress related illnesses. We would rather you have much lower goals and remain content than harm yourself pursuing the moon.

Take a holiday

No, seriously, that’s what we allocate holiday allowance for. We offer a healthy holiday package as part of working here at Concorde and if we don’t see you at least talking about your next break, we’ll ask questions. We of course expect you to work hard whilst your here, but when there’s no holiday in the diary, we’ll have questions. Having a healthy work/life balance is crucial for mental health.

There’s no excuse for your workplace to not support your mental health. It’s 2018 and the stigma that surrounded this subject has now eroded. Make sure there are structures in place when it comes to dealing with stress, anxiety, depression and any other mental health illness, it’s a necessity.’